I’ve been home from Peru for about two and a half weeks, and it almost feels like it didn’t happen. I flew back to the States on my 21st birthday, and got a celebratory beer with my dad and brother as soon as I landed. In the following days, I was swept up in a whirlwind of visiting family and friends, Christmas preparations, and unpacking my bags from Peru only to pack up boxes for Boston. After Christmas, I left for a road trip that will end two days before I go back to school. To be perfectly honest, I’ve been so go-go-go since I left for Bolivia on December 7th, that it feels like I haven’t even had the opportunity to catch my breath, let alone analyze my time in Peru.
I totally expected to grow so much during my semester abroad and come home a different person. Well, sorry to say, but I feel the exact same, and I don’t think anyone else has noticed much change either. In fact, while I was waiting to board my flight to Orlando from Lima, I bumped into an American friend I met at USIL, and we got to catching up about how we’ve grown and changed. “If anything, I just feel really Shannon. Like, I left America as Shannon and now I’m coming home Shannon.” It’s a pretty crap explanation, but it’s the best I can offer. I’ve always been confident and independent, but Peru put me in many situations where I really had to prove that to myself. My patience, flexibility, and resourcefulness were regularly tested during my travels, but I always rose to the occasion (clearly, since I’m here and alive). Everyone is different though. I have two friends in mind who both changed so much that with the first, we distinguish between Peru Abby and America Abby, and that the second has been told repeatedly by her family to “snap out of it,” “stop talking nonsense,” and to “just come back to Germany right away.” So again, it really just depends on your personality, and how well you know yourself before you leave for your travels. Admittedly, my experiences in Peru have certainly made my travel bug that much worse. I’m now considering international volunteer programs abroad after graduation, learning a third language, and a career in human rights.
Furthermore, I will acknowledge, however, that my thoughts and opinions regarding the States, global politics, and foreign cultures was heavily challenged and ultimately changed during study abroad. I was raised by a very Republican, patriotic, pro-small business family in the DC suburbs with many international, culturally diverse friends. Though my extended family circle is a giant melting pot including Russians, El Salvadorians, and Ecuadorians, absolute patriotism and U.S. dominance was explicitly emphasized throughout my childhood (often by friends born outside of the States). In Peru, this was totally and completely challenged. I’ve learned to see the value in political systems and social structures foreign to the States, and have come to heartily believe that the United States has a looooot of room for improvement. Perhaps the worst issue I had to come to grips with was the composition of the United States, and recognizing that my upbringing, with many diverse friends and loving, non-judgmental parents, was very unique. When my Peruvian and European friends would ask me how racist America was, I would tell them there were pockets, but most people were great. When people would ask me about Donald Trump, I would scoff and adamantly argue that Trump would never be president. Well, here we are, 40% in the polls. How can I explain to my friends abroad that in America, there is a perverse culture of fear fueled by the media, where good people do and say terrible things because they have been taught to fear black youth, a Muslim woman in a head scarf, or a Latino man who just wants to provide for his family? And these fears are not just security related; our culture of fear extends to social balance and continuity, economic stability, our global prestige, “our children’s futures,” and literally everything else. Peru helped me recognize this culture of fear, articulate it to myself, analyze it, realize its extent and power, and hate it. It was certainly more that I bargained for when I first boarded my flight in July.
I guess this brings me to my conclusion, which is that everyone should consider studying abroad. The personal growth is critical, but the cultural awareness is indispensable, and everyone should have the opportunity to learn and grow in both these regards. For future study abroad students, my top three suggestions are (1) challenge yourself before you even go by choosing a brand new location, (2) don’t overthink it, and (3) don’t be so scared all the time. I know too many people that choose the “safe” location because they’re “not ready.” But when will you ever be ready? I never in a million years thought I would go to the Amazon rain forest, but I did, and it ended up being my favorite experience during my semester abroad.
